Blind construction



May 31, 1938. w, HOLT ET AL 2,119,011

BLIND CONSTRUCTION I Filed Jan. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lol/er INVE ORS ATTORNEYS.

May 31, 1938. T. w. HOLT ET AL BLIND CONSTRUCTION 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan. 12, 1957 NVE TORS, W 441/ I yaw g WM ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 31, 1938 UNITED STATES BLIND CONSTRUCTION Thomas W. Holt and John F. Lcvan, Elkhart,

Ind., assignors to Excel Curtain Company, Elkhart, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Application January 12, 1937, Serial No. 120,252

5 Claims.

This invention relates to blinds or curtains, and has for its object a metal blind construction, particularly for vehicles, as buses, railway cars, and the like, which is capable of being raised and lowered by sliding in guides and gives a Venetian blind eifect.

It further has for its object means for balancing, that is, counterbalancing, overbalancing or underbalancing the blind during the raising or lowering thereof, particularly a blind which moves, as a unit, instead of winding on a roller, and the relative arrangement of the balancing means to the blind.

It further has for its object a blind of this type consisting of flexible metal side straps coacting or interfitting with suitable guides, and transverse metal slats, each fixed at the corner of one longitudinal margin to each side strap and having its other margin free and overhanging the fixed margin of the next slat, and being deflected outwardly from its point of securement to the strap toward its free edge.

It further has for its object non-metallic means on the outer margins of the side straps for coacting with the guides to prevent rattling and also stiifen the side straps sufiiciently to prevent buckling during raising of the blind and to otherwise facilitate the raising and lowering of the blind.

It further has for its object a balancing means consisting of spring roller means carried by the frame in which the blind works and extending transversely of the blind on the inner side there of and having tapes, preferably metal tapes, winding thereon and connected at their ends to the lower end of the blind at the lower ends of the side straps, the portions of the tapes unwound from the spring roller means being arranged close to the margins of the blind in the rear of the side straps and also running in the same guide channels in which the side straps run.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary inner elevation of this blind construction and contiguous portion of the frame in which the blind works.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary edge view showing in detail one of the side straps and the contiguous portion of the transverse slats.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on line 4-4, Figure 1.

This blind construction comprises generally a suitable frame formed with guides for the blind or curtain and a blind comprising flexible thin metal side straps having their margins coacting with the guides, and transverse metal slats secured at their opposite ends to the straps and each fixed at each end of one of the longitudinal margins to one side of the side straps and having its other margin free and overhanging the fixed margin of the next slat and spring roller means for balancing the blind, and also means for lessening the flexibility of the side straps sufficiently to prevent buckling of the straps when the blind is being raised, but Without destroying the flexibility of the straps.

l designates a frame which may be of any suitable construction. It is here shown as formed of upright members curved at their upper ends to conform to the curve of the roof of the ve hicle. The frame is provided with guides, as channels, 2 for receiving the margins of the blind. The channels are also metal and usually formed up of sheet metal and secured to the frame members I.

3 designates the blind, this including thin, flexible side straps 4 and transverse slats 5. The straps 4 are preferably of metal and are arranged with their margins extending into the channels 2. The slats 5 are also formed up of metal and are secured at their upper corners at 6 to the side straps 4 outside of the channels 2 and have their lower margins 1 free and overhanging the upper margin of the next lower slat. The slats 5 are deflected outwardly away from the straps 4 from their points of securement at 6 toward their lower margin 1. This deflection gives a Venetian blind effect and also facilitates the movement of the blind in the curved portion of the guides 2, and further does not stiffen the straps or affect the flexibility of the straps.

In order to facilitate the working of the blind, the side straps are provided with means at their margins for coacting with the guides and for stiffening the straps sufficiently to prevent buckling thereof, this means being non-metallic flexible U-shaped strips 8, usually of rubber, embracing the outer margin of each strap 4, that is, the margin running in the guide 2. The strip 8 also prevents rattling, and in addition, stiffens suiiiciently the metal straps 4 which are very thin and flexible to effect the raising of the blind without tendency of the straps to buckle in the guides.

The spring roller means may be of any suitable form, size and construction. It is here shown as a spring roller 9 mounted at its ends in brackets carried by the frame I. The spring roller is located on the inner side of the blind below or near the upper end of the blind when the blind is closed, and above or near the lower end, when the blind is fully open. Tapes I 0 wind on opposite ends of the spring roller 9 or pulleys ll provided at the ends of the spring roller, the ends of the tapes I!) being secured at l2 to the lower ends of the straps 4. The roller is located close to the inner face of the blind and the portions of the tape unwinding from the roller lie .close to the blind or the straps 4 andalso'extend into the channels 2 behind the side straps 4, so that the winding force of the spring roller on the tapes or the pulling force of the tapes on the roller, when the blind is being closed, is always parallel to the path of the blind.

The spring roller is mounted in suitable brackets M at the ends thereof, which brackets are secured to the frame I, and as the spring roller construction is well known, it is thought that description of the spring roller is unnecessary for an understanding of this invention.

Blinds of this construction consist of a minimum number of easily assembled parts, are extremely light and flexible, and at the same time have enough rigidity to be raised and lowered without buckling, due to the strip '8, which also holds the blinds from rattling in the guide.

What we claim is:

1. In a blind construction, the combination with a frame formed with guides; of a blind having a raising and lowering movement along the guides and comprising flexible metal side straps having their outer margins coacting with the guides, transverse slats secured at their opposite ends to the side straps, spring roller means extending transversely of the frame adjacent the blind and between the upper and lower ends of the blind in any position thereof, and tapes winding on the roller means and having their ends secured to the lower end of the blind, the tapes extending parallel to the side straps directly behind the same.

2. In a blind construction, the combination with a frame formed withguides; of ablind having a raising and lowering movement along the guides and comprising flexible metal side straps having their outer margins coacting with the guides, transverse slats secured at their opposite ends to the side straps, spring roller means extending transversely of the frame adjacent the blind and between the upper and lower ends of the blind in any position thereof, and tapes winding on the roller means and having their ends secured to the lower end of the blind, the tapes extending parallel to the side strapsdirectly behind the same, the tapes coacting with the guides.

3. In a blind construction, the combination with a frame formed with guide channels; of a blind having a raising and lowering movement along the guide channels and comprising flexible metal side straps having their outer margins extending into the guide channels, transverse slats secured at their opposite ends to the side straps outside of the channels, spring roller means extending transversely of the frame adjacent the blind and between the upper and lower ends of the blind in any position thereof, and tapes winding on the roller means and having their ends secured to the lower end of the blind, the tapes extending parallel to the side straps directly behind the same and having their side margins running in the channels.

4. In a blind construction, the combination with a suitable frame formed with guide channels; of a blind having a raising and'lowering movement as a unit, and comprising flexible metal side straps having their margins running in the channels, and transverse metal slats secured at the-corners of their upper margins to the side straps and having their lower margins free, the slats deflecting outwardly away from the side straps from their points of securement thereto toward the lower edges, and the lower margin of each slat overlapping the fixed margin of the next lower slat, spring roller means carried by the frame and extending transversely of the blind on the inner side thereof and adjacent the inner face of the blind and located between the upper and lower ends of the blind in any position of the blind, tapes winding on the spring roller means and connected at their ends to the lower ends of the blind, the tapes extending substantially parallel to the side straps and directly behind the same in any position of the blind, and one side margin of each running in the adjacent guide channel with the adjacent side strap.

5. In a blind construction, the combination with a suitable frame formed with guide .channels; of a blind having a raising and lowering movement as a unit, and comprising flexible metal side straps having their margins running in the channels, and transverse metal slats secured at the corners of their upper margins to the side straps and having their lower margins free, the slats deflecting outwardly away from the side straps from their points of securement thereto toward the lower edges, and the lower margin of each'slat overlapping the fixed margin of the next lower slat, spring roller means carried by the frame and extending transversely of the blind on the inner side thereof and adjacent the inner face of the blind and located between the upper and lower ends of the blind in any po sition of the blind, tapes winding on the spring roller means and connected at their ends to the lower ends of the blind, the tapes extending substantially parallel to the side straps and directly behind the same in any position of the blind, and one side margin of each running in the adjacent guide channel with the adjacent side strap, the side straps having non-metallic means embracing their outer margins for coacting with the guide channels and preventing buckling of the side straps.

THOMAS W. HOLT. JOHN F. LEVAN. 

